What cuts are you prepared to personally suffer to repay the deficit?

Out,_Vile_Jelly

It is a good question, that has got sidetracked by predictable squabbling.

I am in favour of higher taxes in return for visibly better services. That would include increased VAT- it would just make me think more about how much non-essential "stuff" I buy and where I buy it from. I believe strongly that this country is far too car-reliant, and taxing the hell out of private motoring gets my vote; I realise this may have a knock-on effect on food prices but am prepared to accept that.

FATBALLZ

ash28 wrote: »

The only benefit we have ever received as a family was child benefit and I would imagine that will be the only benefit we will receive in our lifetime.

To be fair, child benefit is quite a large benefit to receive when you look at it over the 18 year period, £44085.60 for 3 children. (Assuming it has been kept in line with inflation of course).

carolt

bendix wrote: »

i'm not arguing with this point, but what do you deem as luxuries? My sense - and I could be wrong - is that most basic foodstuffs (ie not complete meals or takeaways) are already VAT exempt or zero-rated, and things like clothes, power, fuel attract low VAT.

I'd be fine with much higher VAT across the board, or failing that, on luxury goods.

No, sadly, that is not the case. It should be but isn't.

Do you recall the Jaffa Cake debate? Where one type of biscuit was classed as a cake and therefore tax exempt, whilst another was classed as a biscuit and so attracted VAT. etc etc. A complete, illogical mess currently.

carolt

ash28 wrote: »

Personally I think the child benefit changes are just the start of much larger benefit changes - I don't disagree with changes in principle - I do tend to disagree with the rough and ready implementation. The fact that the child benefit changes will impact families where one parent maybe working and paying higher rate tax will lose everything, those families where both parents work and earn just under the threshold will still receive it. That isn't fair - just cheap to implement. I just hope any further cuts will be a bit better thought through.

It will save £1bn, peanuts in the scheme of things - they could easily have cut the foreign aid budget by £1bn - it has nothing to do with deficit reduction and more to do with the "big society" where in the end it will be charities and churches who will be expected to pick up the pieces of a much smaller state.

We have both retired now - as of 1st October - both are 55 and we did receive child benefit for all of our 3 children - but I would say that has been repaid many times over in taxes at the higher rate, during and after receipt of the benefit. And if I'm honest we could have done without it - our eldest is 31 and child benefit covered the cost of school dinners, it wasn't a make or break in our finances. The kids could always have taken a packed lunch. My parents got it for 3 of 4 children too, it covered the cost of school dinners then too. Perhaps it's worth a bit more now.

In 10 years time we will be eligible to full state pensions each and if it's available to us we will each claim it. I fully expect the state pension to be means tested by then and imagine we will not be entitled to anything and have not factored it into our finances. If it's there we will take it.

What would I personally sacrifice? I would pay higher income tax or higher vat or fuel duty or duty on alcohol or as a smoker, tobacco duty, as a traveller, higher passenger duty. Though if basic rate tax ever went back to 33% as it was when we were first married I would probably move to a country like Cyprus or somewhere else that has a favourable tax rate for people in receipt of a pension. So there is a limit on what I would be prepared to pay to live here.

The only benefit we have ever received as a family was child benefit and I would imagine that will be the only benefit we will receive in our lifetime. I'm lying - I did get NI credits for a few years, courtesy of child benefit, when I didn't work when the kids were small.

Thanks, very interesting.

carolt

chucky wrote: »

i'm not any benefits, so none can be cut.

i'm with Bendix - we've just gone through one of the worst economic crisis since the 2nd world was and you're expecting not to be impacted...

i don't have a problem with tax rises, i also don't have an issue with cuts. they have to happen.


i'm not sure what this has to do with anything.

i'll take into consideration that you had a tough day yesterday and today looks like it's not going to get any better... never mind - chin up old dear...

As already stated, I have already sacrificed £500ish per year in child tax credits. What have you already sacrificed, chucky? (Apart from falling equity due to falling house prices, obviously.) I suppose you're soon to be impacted by the reductions in rents due to reductions in LHA. Suppose that will hurt too.

I had a good day yesterday, thanks.

Got some good work done.

A._Badger

Alan_Cross wrote: »

You can take it as meaning you had made no comment based either on logic or recorded history, actually...

So Gordon Brown wasn't Chancellor and then PM?

I knew you Lefties liked to rewrite history, but isn't that going a bit far?

StevieJ

Out,_Vile_Jelly wrote: »

It is a good question, that has got sidetracked by predictable squabbling.

I am in favour of higher taxes in return for visibly better services. That would include increased VAT- it would just make me think more about how much non-essential "stuff" I buy and where I buy it from. I believe strongly that this country is far too car-reliant, and taxing the hell out of private motoring gets my vote; I realise this may have a knock-on effect on food prices but am prepared to accept that.

Maybe for good reason, before you tax the hell out of cars could you please ensure that facilities are returned to what they were like before we needed car e.g. bring back my local fruit and veg shop that has been forced out of existence by the out of town supermarket.

FATBALLZ

StevieJ wrote: »

Maybe for good reason, before you tax the hell out of cars could you please ensure that facilities are returned to what they were like before we needed car e.g. bring back my local fruit and veg shop that has been forced out of existence by the out of town supermarket.

Not to mention viable public transport to the places people go to work...

madnessofBruno

carolt wrote: »

Do you drop a lot of litter? Or send a lotof text messages?

If not, it's another example of getting others to pay - I wanted to see what sacrifices YOU were prepared to make.

Not that they are necessarily bad ideas, just I wanted to see how people were practicing what they preached.

Send a lot of text messages- Yes

Drop litter-no, however my taxes are wasted on the clean up costs.

Every £ I spend on taxes I seek maximum productivity for that £.

lostinrates

StevieJ wrote: »

Maybe for good reason, before you tax the hell out of cars could you please ensure that facilities are returned to what they were like before we needed car e.g. bring back my local fruit and veg shop that has been forced out of existence by the out of town supermarket.

Chances are that if driving was more expensive local facilities would return. Apart from Tesco Delivery. The milk route would increase though I think...delivering also eggs, bread etc.